What do Stan Wawrinka, Grigor Dimitrov and Daniel Evans have in common in this US Open 2023? Thirties, of course, but they are not the only ones in this case at this stage of the tournament. On the other hand, in the 3rd round at Flushing Meadows, they represent an endangered species, that of one-handed backhands. They are therefore only three in the running out of 32 players still in competition. And it is quite possible that none appear in the second week.
To be convinced of this, just look at the identity of their future adversaries: Alexander Zverev for Dimitrov, Jannik Sinner for Wawrinka and none other than Carlos Alcaraz for Evans. Under these conditions, the prospects for success are indeed limited but far from being surprising. On the starting line in New York, they were only 11 out of 128. To the three mentioned above, it was thus necessary to add Stefanos Tsitsipas, Lorenzo Musetti, Christopher Eubanks, Daniel Altmaier, Dusan Lajovic, Richard Gasquet, Dominic Thiem and Marco Cecchinato, i.e. 8.59% of employees. Almost a drop in a glass of water.
Beauty and efficiency don’t always mix
Fans of elegance and a certain classicism are at their expense. So when one comes along, it’s a matter of tasting it like our consultant and ex-champion with the superb one-handed backhand, Justine Henin. “Magnificent backhand along the line. Nice open support, good balance at the level of the upper body. It’s beautiful technically, she greeted Thursday at Dimitrov in the commentary of her match against Murray. We still like to see this kind of blow on the circuit. It’s different. I also admire certain two-handed backhands, exceptional feats. But it’s so rare after all for one-handed backhands. When I see Wawrinka’s, I enjoy it.”
Murray – Dimitrov: The highlights of the match
The reasons for this scarcity are well known and could be summarized as follows. First, the professionalization of the game has reached such a dimension in the last twenty years that few players have a very weak shot. However, the help of a second hand helps to stabilize the backhand, to give it more consistency. Then, the movement of standardization and slowing down of the surfaces favored the multiplication of long rallies and the importance of passing. This second hand in support makes it possible to straighten the course of the ball more easily with extreme support. Novak Djokovic is a fantastic example of mastery.
Among the players mentioned above, there are only two – and already eliminated from this US Open – who have a one-handed backhand and are 25 years old or less: Tsitsipas and Musetti. When children start playing tennis very young, they generally use their second hand for a good and simple reason: to be able to hold their racket well, which is often too heavy and bulky, despite the appropriate models. It is all the more obvious for them to keep their habit and the two-handed backhand, especially since their coaches, aware of the evolution of the sport, have no interest in dissuading them.
Tsitsipas: “I’m here in a way not to let him die”
In this context, why persist with one hand? Stefanos Tsitsipas explained his approach at the start of the tournament. “The game really leans more towards the two-handed backhand these days. A safer shot, some would say. Easier to control, others would say. But I still believe the one-handed backhand has its place, j “I have faith in him, he asserted, as if on a mission. I’m here in a way not to let him die. I wouldn’t say that I’m his successor, but I’m playing with a backhand at a hand because of Roger (Federer, editor’s note). In a way yes, I want to be his successor, as huge as that may seem. I’m not even close to being yet, but he really gave me a reason to persist with this move.”
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And the Greek added: “Pete Sampras was also my hero. So these two players make this move even more special for me. I have it deep in my heart because I really want to be like them. I don’t want not copying them, but just acknowledging their greatness through this shot.” For the record, like “Pistol Pete” by the way, Tsitsipas opted for a one-handed backhand during his training when he also played it with two hands.
Tactical relevance and identification
It will have been understood that identification has a role to play in the possible persistence of this stroke of tennis and in inspiring future generations. Just like its greatest versatility. Dimitrov, Evans, like Wawrinka are distinguished by their mastery of the slice, even if the Vaudois has above all built his Grand Slam triumphs on the devastating power of his flat backhand. This ability to vary and change more of the pace in the exchange sometimes gives them a tactical advantage, as the Bulgarian showed against Murray.
Murray and Wawrinka remain forever: Thursday’s Top 5 points
It is also interesting to note that if there were only 11 one-handed losses out of 128 participants in this US Open, they are still 5 currently in the Top 30 (Tsitsipas, Musetti, Dimitrov, Evans and Eubanks). An observation which tends to show that it is not necessarily a weakness, when it is perfectly mastered at least, in the modern arsenal.
Nevertheless, the general trend is towards extinction. And if Carlos Alcaraz, Holger Rune and Jannik Sinner embody a potential “Big 3” of the future, these new models will have effectively wiped the one-handed backhand from the map. There will then remain compilations on the Internet for nostalgic and fervent defenders of tennis diversity.
2023-09-02 11:30:35
#Open #onehanded #backhand #future #Eurosport
